Steam steering-gear for vehicles



(No Model.)

E. HOWLAND. STEAM STEERING GEAR EOR VEHICLES.

v No. 453,368.

Patented June 2, 1891.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EPHRAIM HOVLAND, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

STEAM STEERING-GEAR FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,368, dated June 2, 1891. Applicationfiled December 2'7, 1890; Serial No. 375,968 (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, EPHRAIM HOWLAND, a

citizen of the United States, residingfat Po'ntiac, county of Oakland, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Steam Steering-Gear for Vehicles; and I declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to WlllCll it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specificatron.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portable steam-boiler attached to a thrashing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 1s a plan View of the same.

It is the purpose of my invention to prov1de a wheel-vehicle-such, for instance, as a tractwn-engine-with a steam steering-gear.

I have in the drawings illustratedsmyin: vention as applied to a portable steam-boiler of that type in which steam from the boiler is conveyed back to a steam-engine upon a thrashing-machine or other implement to which it is coupled, the said engine arranged to engage with traction mechanism upon the thrashing-machine, whereby the boiler is pushed by the said thrashing-machine. I do not, however, illustrate the traction mechan-' ism upon the thrashing-machine, because the same forms no part of my present invention. Iwould also have it understood at the outset that while this device is illustrated in connection-with a portable boiler and a tractionengine located upon the vehicle to which it 15 coupled yet my invention contemplates the employment of this gear upon any tractionengine itself, or upon any portable steam-englne. So, also, if the thrashing-machine, with its traction-engine were, located in the lead, with the boiler coupled on behind it, the steam steering-gear might be upon the thrashing-machine itself. I have simply shown it in the manner illustrated to demonstrate the invention.

It is well known that with a steam-propelled road-vehicle one of the most laborious things connected therewith is the steering or piloting of the said leading vehicle. It has heretofore been done by hand mechanism of some sort.

In carrying out my invention, A represents a portable steam-boiler mounted upon the usual trucks.

B represents a thrashing-machine, or it may be any other vehicle which is coupled with the boiler. This thrashing-machine is presumed to haveupon it asteam-engine for actuating thesame, and adapted also to propel the said thrashing-machine along the road. This particular mechanism is not shown, but A is a steam-pipe leading from the steam-boiler back to the said vehicle for supplying steam to the said engine. The two vehicles are coupled together so that the said rear vehicle pushes the steam-boiler in front of it.

C is a coupling block or fastening upon the leading vehicle whereby the same is coupled to the vehicle B. This block or fastening is adapted to traverse across the rear end of the leading vehicle, and may be guided in any suitable manner. To the said block or fasteening'there are engaged chains or cables 0,

which pass around suitable pulleys or guides c, and extend thence forward and are connected at the extremities to the forward axle at c. Interposed upon one or the other of these chains or cables is a steam-cylinder D. It contains a piston, the piston-rod D of which proj ectsoutwardly from both ends, and is engaged with, so as to constitute a part of, the chain or cable 0', so that whatever movement is imparted to the piston the same is communicated to the said chain or cable. This steam-cylinder D may receive steam from the boiler in any convenient manner as, for instance, through a steam-pipe dand the handle d may serve to actuate a lever or other mechanism (1 whereby steam may be cut ofi from the cylinder or be introduced into either end of the cylinder at the will of the operator, and so impel the piston in either direction. The particular mechanism for thus governing the steam is not illustrated in detail, because the same constitutes no part of my invention, and any usual mechanism for this purpose may be employed.

The operation of this device is as follows: NVe will presume the boiler is being pushed along by the traction mechanism upon the rear vehicle, or by its own traction mechanism if it is provided with the same. When it becomes necessary to turn to the right, the operator shifts his steam-governin g mechanlsm so as to admit steam in front of the piston, thereby driving the piston-rod backward, and so turning the forward axle to the right, and so, by admitting steam back of the piston, he drives the piston-rod forward, and so turns the forward axle to the left. There may or may not be one of these steam-cylinders upon each side of the boiler. One will usually be sufficient, and only one is shown; butI would have it understood that one maybe employed upon each side of the boiler, if desired. So, also, it may be employed either with or without the shifting block or fastening O. The purpose of this block or fasteningis that when the pole-of the rear vehicle is coupled therewith any movement of the forward axle of the leading vehicle in one direction will cause the forward axle of the rear vehicle to be turned in the other direction, because the shifting of this block will actuate the pole of the rear vehicle. This would result in cansing the rear vehicle to follow substantially in the tracks of the leading vehicle as a turn is being made around a corner or to avoid an obstacle. It the block 0 isnot employed, then the pole of the rear machine may be connected directly with the leading vehicle and the steam steering-gear will serve simply to guide the leading vehicle without shifting the pole of the rear vehicle. It is apparent also that the steam steering-gear may be used upon the boiler alone, or with any traction-engine, or with any vehicle which has upon it or engaged with it a boiler from which it may receive a supply of steam.

Of course there might be but a single pulley about which the cable or chain flexes. So, also, rods might be substituted for the cable and bell-cranks or equivalent be substituted for the pulley or pulleys. These are obvious variations, and by the use of the words chain or cable and pulley or pulleys in the claims I would have the same understood as com prebending such variations in the construction.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with a vehicle, of a chain or cable connected at one end with the forward axle, passing thence backward around pulleys and thence forward and having its other end connected with the other end of the axle, a steam-cylinder on the line of said chain or cable having its piston-rod engaged therewith, and means for furnishing steam to actuate said piston, the construction being such thatas the piston is shifted in either direction the forward axle will be correspondingly turned, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with a vehicle, of a chain or cable having its extremities secured at opposite ends of the forward axle and passing thence back around a pulley or pulleys, a steam-cylinder having its piston engaged directly orindirectly with said cable, whereby the movement of the piston is imparted to said chain or cable, and means for governing the admission of steam to actuate said piston in either direction, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination, with a vehicle, of a chain or cable connected at its ends to opposite ends of the forward axle and passing thence to the rear about a pulley or pulleys, a steam-cylinder having its piston engaged directly or indirectly with said chain or cable, whereby the motion of the piston isimparted to the latter, means for furnishing and controlling the admission of steam to actuate said piston, and a shifting block or fastening at the rear of the machine, whereby another vehicle may be coupled thereto, said block or fastening adapted to be shifted transversely of the machine as the chain or cable is shifted, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

' E'PIIRAIM. IIOWLAND. Witnesses:

MARION A. REEVE, WELLs W'. LEGGETT. 

